The present invention relates generally to animal farming, and more particularly to an apparatus for manipulating the bedding material in an animal stall.
In the larger animal farming operations today, animals are kept in stalls that are generally separated by railings. Cows in particular are kept in these types of stalls, commonly know as “free stalls.” These stalls are arranged in large rows that are separated by alleys. At the rear of the stall is a relatively short curb, and at the front of the stall, a low wall known as a brisket board. Between the curb and the brisket board is a bedding material such as sand, ground rubber, ground nut shells, sawdust or the like.
After the animal has resided in a free stall for a period of time, the bedding tends get mashed down and arranged in a less than ideal fashion. For example, certain animals such as cows prefer that the bedding slope upward toward the brisket board. After a period of time, the bedding will become mostly horizontal, and some of it will have spilled over the curb. It is desirable to groom the bedding for several reasons. First, it introduces air into the bedding to dry it and retard growth of anaerobic bacteria. Second, it fluffs the bedding to make it more soft and comfortable. Finally, for animals that prefer a slope, the grooming process should make the bedding sloped in accordance with that preference.
One type of apparatus used to groom animal stalls consists of a hydraulically controlled arm that is attached to the front of a vehicle, such as a farm tractor or a skid steer loader, the latter hereafter referred to simply as a “skid steer.” The arm may be raised to fit though narrow doors or the like, and may be lowered so that it is substantially horizontal with the stall floor. Four or five propeller-like blades are spaced along the length of the arm. Each propeller-like blade rotates independently of the others. As the skid steer proceeds along a row of stalls, the blades are lowered into each stall to stir the bedding. However, the bedding remains substantially horizontal. Further, if a large rut is present in a stall, the propeller blades may not move enough bedding to repair the rut adequately. In addition, the arm and propeller-like blades are relatively large, and cannot fit under rails used to commonly separate each stall. Thus, the groomer must stop and groom each stall individually instead of continuously grooming each consecutive stall as the groomer proceeds along the alley.
In an effort to solve the problem with the sloping and rut repair, a similar apparatus was developed by the present inventor. Rather than use a plurality of propeller like blades, one large rotating member was used. This member had several fixed fins spaced along its length. As the skid steer proceeded along the stalls, the member rotated by means of a motor with a gear box. The fins could move sand from the rear of a stall toward the front of a stall to repair ruts better than prior apparatus. However, the fins could not move the sand in a manner that was effective to create the slope that is desired. Further, though this apparatus had the ability to continuously groom each consecutive stall as the groomer proceeded along the alley, it could only do so if the rails separating the stalls were raised up from the bedding so that the rotating member and corresponding motor could fit underneath the rails. Because stall rails are fixed rather than adjustable, this would mean that pre-existing stalls would need to undergo some level of construction to accommodate the groomer. This may not be desirable. Moreover, it is not desirable to raise the rails separating the stalls because the animals, when lying down, may spread out and not stay contained within their own stall.
Thus, there is a need for an apparatus for animal stall grooming that can aerate and fluff bedding, repair ruts and have the capability of providing a slope to the bedding. There is a further need that such apparatus be compact enough to fit underneath the rails commonly used to separate stalls.